Insulating supporting means.



1". E. GSE.

` APPLICATION FILED 111721.51914, I 1,101,058.

Patented um 1 Witnesses'. rwx/ejw'r n /V' @o l Frerwffzllllcase,

NTTED STATES PATENT QFFICE. FRANK E CiASE, 0F SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR 1.0 GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION F NEW YORK.

Inst-Larme SUPPORTING Manns.v

Specification of Letters Paten-t.

pplieation filed April 9, 1914*. Serial No. 830,588.

To all whom it may concern Be it kno-wn tat I, FRANK E. Cass, a citizen of the United States, residing at Schenectady, in the county of Schenectady, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements ininsulating Supportinflr Means, of which the following is a speci cation.

My invention relates to insulating supporting means, and more especially to the support of third rails for electric railways, and it comprises various novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts that will be hereinafter set forth by the detailed description of the best forms thereof at present known to me.

Among the advantages obtainable in connection with my invention are simplicity and strength of construction; ruggedness and reliability in service, and ease of installation; also,and of great importance when the invention is employed in supporting a third mik-thorough insulation of all exposed parts. How these and other advantages may be obtained in accordance with my invention will appear hereinafter, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in my claims.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure l is a side view of one form of insulating supporting means or bracket structure con` structed in accordance with my invention, the third rail supported by it being shown insection. Fig. 2 isa plan view of the structure shown in Fig. l, the lower portion' and the third rail being omitted. Fig. 3 is ak fragmentary sectional view through the upper portion of the st ucture, at right angles to Fig. l. Fig. 4 a 4fragmentary view of the upper portionoof a modified structure, most of the parts being in seetion.

Referring first to Figs. 1, 2 yand 3, it will. be seen that the supporting means or bracket structure shown comprises apedestal supporting member l adapted to be mount-ed and secured on the roadbed; as by lag screws 2 extending through holes in its foot into a cross-tie. On the top of the pedestal l 'a pair of insulators 3,4: (of

bisque, porcelain, or other material) are secured by means of a bolt part 5 extending through them, and between the insulators 3, 4 is clamped an arm member 6 by ,which the third rail 7 is carried. The pedestal 1 .lower one, and the ca has at its top a web 8 through which the b elt 5 passes and which has at its lower side ridges 9 for engaging the square head of said bolt and preventing it from turn ing, and on top of lthe upper insulator i is a sort of cap piece 10 with projections Il for similarly enga-ging a square washer or nut-lock l2 beneath the nut 13. This cap piece 10 has a projection i4 adapted to engage the ordinary inverted wooden trough third rail Cover te prevent liongitudinal shifting thereof or otherwise assist in keeping it in place. .At the outer' end of the arm .6 is a sortof jaw 15, and at diagonally opposite corners of this jaw are teeth or lugs 16 that extend beneath the upper head of the reversible'I-shaped third rail 7. This form of jawl has the advantage that the upper head of the third rail 7 can be intro-l duced into it sidewise as well as endwise, which facilitates the ,Work of the construction gang. As shown,the jaw 15 has aclearance about the rail head which is ample for the downward movement of the bracket structure that occurs when a ear wheel passes over the cross-tie on which its pedestal 1 is mounted.

The pedestal l, it will be seen from Fig. 8, has relatively inclined top surfaces 2G,

.and the insulator 3 has relatively inclined lower surfaces 2l adjacent and conforming to those of the pedestal, and by this mode of engagement the insulator 3 is .kept in proper position and prevented from turning with reference to the pedestal. Each of the insulators 3, 4 has relatively inclined surfaces 22 adjacent the other, and the arm member 6 has at its end which is clamped between the insulators relatively inclined surfaces 23 adjacent and conforming to the surfaces 22, and by this inode of engagelment turning of the arm member w'ith ,reference to the lower insulator 3 is lpre- 1vented,as also turning of the upper in-v sulator i with reference to the arm member and the lower insulator. As shown, the

upper .insulator 4i lis made exactly like the piece l0 has lower relatively inclined sur aces corresponding to 'the .upper relatively inclined surfaces of said insulator 4, sothat turning of the cap piece thereon is prevented.

Still referring to Figs. l, 2 and 3, it will lbe seen that the holes in the insulators 3 and 4 through which extends the bolt 5 angles at the root of t .or may be rectangular er gradually enlarge toward adjacent sides of said insulators, and that the portion of the arm member 6 that lies between the insulators 3 and 4 has al1-opening for the bolt 5 large enough to give` an ample clearance. The arm member 6 has at its edge a flange which extends across the end 27 between the insulators 3 and 4 and is received in grooves 28 in them, and there is also a transverse flange 29 that lies against the edges of the insulators and co"perates with the end flange at 27 in preventing movement of the arm 6 in `its own longitudinal direction. At the sides of the bolt openin in the arm 6 the e edge flange are filled in to form the inclined surfaces 23, so that the section of metal here is triangular as shown in Fig. 3. At their adjacent edges the insulators 3 and 4 are flared outward into heavy flanges 30 that extend around the portion of the arm 6 between them, so as to ailord ample protection; thus thereV are in elfect U or horse-shoe grooves of varying form in the adjacent sides of the insulators 3 und 4 for receiving corresponding ridges o the arm member 6. Between the insulators and the parts clamped together with them-that is to say, the top web 8 of the pedestal 1, the arm' 6, and the cap pieces 10--are placed several thicknesses of heavy insulating liber or cardboard or other material adapted to afford a cushion and prevent excessive local strain on the material of the insulators in consequence of the parts being clamped tight together. At the middle of each of the inclined surfaces 22, and 25 isa shallow channel or depression intended to insure a good bearing at the corners of the insulators.

Referring, now, to Fig. 4, it will be seen that in the construction here shown there are no relatively inclined surfaces such as shown in Figs. 'l and 3, butthat on the contrary the top of Jthe pedestal 4l and the upperand lower surfaces of the insulators 43 and 44 are flat. lt will further be sccn that the portion of the arm 46 between the insulators 43 and 44 is fiat on both sides, and

that it is kept in place with 'reference to the insulators by sheet metal parts 47 with oppositely turned inner and outer flanges that engage in the bolt opening of the arm 46 and in grooves 4f) in the adjacent sides of said insulators. The outer flanges of the parts 47 and the grooves 4.() may be circular U-shaped. The insulators 43 and 44 are kept properly iocated with reference to the pedestal 41 and to the holt member 50 by sheet metal parte 5l and 52 having outer flanges vthat lit 'be mounted on-the road-bed and around the ends of the insulators and also having central holes which approximately fit the bolt. The part 51 is placed between insulator -43 and the top of the pedestal and ma r if desired be of paper, lfiber, or yother cus iioning material rather than of metal, and the part 52 is arranged by wa of a cap on the top of the insulator 44. T e flanges of the dparts 51 and 52 and the corresponding en s of the insulators 43 and 44 may be either circular or'more or less rectangular. The third rail shown is of ordinary sec tion, and the outer edge of its base dan is held by a sort of claw 55 bolted to the outer end -of the arm 46. 15

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:-

1. Insulating supporting means com riling a supporting member,

a ,pair of m'sun' laters secured thereto by a part extendi throu h them, and a member associated wi the e ement to be supported clamped between said insulators. I

2. Insulating supporting means com rising a supportlng member, a air of insulators secured thereto one of W ich is so engaged therewith as to be prevented from turning with reference thereto, and a member associated with the element to be s upported clamped between said insulators and' so engaged with one of them as to be prevented from turning with reference to said supporting member.

3. Insulating supporting means for a third rail comprising a e estal adapted to be mounted on the road-lied, a pair of insulators secured on the top of said pedestal, and an arm for carrying a third rail having one end clamped between said insulators.

4. .insulating supportin means for a third rail comprising a pe estal ada ted to avlng relatively inclined to surfaces, a pair of insulators secured on t e top of said pedestal by a bolt passing though t lem, one of which has relatively inclined surfaces adjacent and conforming to those of the edestal, and has also relatively inclined sur aces adjacent the other insulator, and an arm for carrying the third rail clamped between said insulators and having relatively inclined surfaces adjacentfaml conforming to those'of the insulator next the pedestal.

ln witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 8th day of April 1914.

FRANK E. CASE.

Witnesses BENJAMIN Il. llULI.,

Mancami'if E. \Voor.r,nr. 

